


my mid-youth crisis all said and done

by syazzypanda



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Not sure how to tag this because it's not explicitly Charlie/Alex but if you squint..., Questioning, Tony is a good friend, character focused, set between s3 and s4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:28:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24701563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syazzypanda/pseuds/syazzypanda
Summary: “I wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask that but I didn’t know who else to ask. And you’re sort of like a gay legend.”Tony, who had managed to maintain his composure until then, sputtered, “I’m a what?”Or, Alex wasn't the only one who came to Tony with questions.
Relationships: Charlie St. George & Tony Padilla, Charlie St. George/Alex Standall
Comments: 10
Kudos: 156





	my mid-youth crisis all said and done

**Author's Note:**

> Something a little different from what I usually write (as in different from like... the first two times lmao). This was inspired from a gif set of Charlie and Alex's first kiss on tumblr where the OP tagged it as "#OF COURSE THE GAY LEGEND HIMSELF WALKS IN ON THEM" and I've been thinking about that tag every god damn day. 
> 
> I rewatched some parts of the first episode to write this and my key takeaways are:
> 
> a) Jessica at one point refers to Charlie as 'Cookies'. It was condescending but I take it as meaning that Charlie truly does bring cookies everywhere and that everyone knows it.  
> b) Charlie mentions that he, Alex, Tyler have been hanging out "like, every night."
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading!

Tony never  really  had a reason to hang out with Charlie St. George.

That could  be said  for most of the gang, in that they were all bonded by acts on a scale ranging from questionable legality to a lengthy prison sentence.  He would admit  however  that if it had not been for the series of unfortunate events that had befallen them, he  probably  would not have been friends with half of the group.

That didn’t stop him from caring about them.

Tony liked Charlie. He seemed like a good kid.  He was sweet and thoughtful and had a disposition of sunshine, always going out of the way to lend a hand if the need arises--even if that entailed planting falsified evidence.  There was nothing about the younger boy to  actively  dislike, and it was hard to dislike someone who seemed to always have a cookie on him to offer. They  just  didn’t have a reason to hang out much.

Tony knew that Tyler, Alex, and Charlie had been hanging out a lot over winter break.  There had been  numerous  occasions where Tyler had texted him an invite, which he had always  politely  declined. He tried not to feel bad about it.

So if he  was surprised  to see Charlie pull up to the garage one evening as he was closing up, he didn’t show it.

“Hey man,” Tony greeted, wiping some sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. He watched as Charlie got out of the car and approached him. “You need some work done?”

“Not  really,” Charlie shook his head. He reached into his pocket.  Tony had a pretty good guess what it was going to be, and wasn’t disappointed when the taller boy brought out a ziploc bag and offered it to him, “Chocolate chip cookie?”

Tony  graciously  accepted one,  partially  from hunger and  partially  because it was hard to say no to that face. “Thanks. What brings you here? I doubt it was to deliver cookies to me, not that I don’t appreciate it.”

Charlie laughed, warm and low. “I was around.  Tyler wants to watch a movie at The Cresmont tonight, and he’s been talking about inviting you along, so I thought I’d drop by to deliver the message.”

A myriad of expressions flickered across Tony’s face; bewilderment and confusion and a twinge of guilt. If Charlie had noticed he kept quiet, smiling  expectantly. “He misses you.”

Tony sighed, leaning against the wall. The evening sun cast long shadows against the back of the garage. It made them look like giants. “Yeah, sure. I’ll come along. Let me close up and take a shower before I head over.”

Charlie’s smile grew, if possible, even wider. “Awesome, Tyler will  be stoked. Alex too.”

Tony turned away, sorting through the mess of papers and receipts that he had been going through before Charlie’s arrival. “I heard you guys have been hanging out a lot together.”

It was a statement, but Charlie replied anyway with a confirming hum. “Yeah, its been great.”

He paused, and Tony could hear the shuffling of feet as if he was shifting around.  His next question,  however  was enough to make Tony drop the stack of papers he was holding, not so much from surprise but more so from the sudden way Charlie blurted it out: “How did you know you were gay?”

Tony turned around once more to face the other boy who had gone red in the face, “What?”

“I’m sorry if this is inappropriate.”  The words came tumbling out of his mouth as if the flood gates had opened, “I wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask that but I didn’t know who else to ask. And you’re sort of like a gay legend.”

Tony, who had managed to maintain his composure until then, sputtered, “I’m a _what_?”

Charlie looked like he wouldn’t have minded if the ground would open up to swallow him whole, the blush blooming to the tips of his ears, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Or I should have asked if it was okay to ask. I’ll  just  go n-”

“Charlie,” Tony interjected  firmly, but not  unkindly. “It’s okay. I  just  wasn’t expecting it.” He also wasn’t expecting to be the ‘gay legend’, but that’s a whole other story. “So,  just  to be clear, am I a gay legend because I’m the only gay person you know?”

Charlie  truly  looked like he wanted to disappear on the spot by now, but still nodded  shyly. “I don’t know any other out gay person.  Being straight is my only frame of reference growing up, but I  just… wanted to know…” He  wordlessly  held out the cookies towards Tony once more, almost like a peace offering .

Tony took another cookie along with a deep breath, “Well, since you asked so  nicely,  I think  a part of me always knew since I was young. It didn’t feel right being with girls. I heard from the people around me and had an idea what I  was supposed  to be feeling, but I never felt it.”

“But what if…” Charlie paused, biting his lip in thought, “...I- I mean, they like being with girls too?”

“Then you, or this person, might be bisexual. Or  maybe  they don’t want labels. That’s up to you.” Tony took a bite of the cookie, munching as he continued, “So after that I started to feel things for boys. And the first time I was with a boy, things felt… right. Like I wasn’t performing anymore. It didn’t solve all my problems, mind you, but for the first time I didn’t feel like I was lying to myself anymore.”

Charlie nodded. The blush was receding from his face, finally, “T-Thanks, Tony.”

He seemed at a loss for what to say beyond that, so instead Tony clapped him  firmly  on the shoulder, “Anytime man,” he offered a grin, “Maybe  next time try not to refer to me as a gay legend, although I appreciate the sentiment.”

* * *

Later that night, Tony might have paid a little extra attention to the way Charlie would laugh for a few seconds longer at a joke Alex made, or the way his eyes softened whenever he looked at Alex when he thought no one was paying attention. He didn’t say anything about it though, even when Charlie caught his eye after turning away from his friend.

The truth of the matter still stands: He might not have much in common with Charlie, but he would take care of him. That’s what Tony does best.

**Author's Note:**

> Tony is such a great friend. Everyone deserves a Tony in their lives. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!! Every comment and kudos mean so much to me, I really want to get better :)


End file.
